This disclosure relates to bird feeders, and more specifically, to a bird feeder featuring a particularly defined seed port that will introduce versatility with regard to the types of seed that can be dispensed from a bird feeder equipped with a seed port having the features described herein. In a preferred embodiment, the disclosed seed port will have two modes: In one mode the port will dispense large seeds from the feeder; in another mode, the port will allow the feeder to dispense relatively small seeds.
Seed ports attached to or integrated with bird feeders to control the flow or size of seed to be dispensed from the housing or storage reservoir of the feeder have been described in earlier patent documents. Representative of those patents and the various ports described therein are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,922, which issued Nov. 15, 1983 to Hyde, describes an improved feeding port having an opening in the side of the storage compartment that is partially occluded by resilient finger members arranged to prevent the free flow of seeds yet permit easy access and forcible extraction by feeding birds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,859, which issued Dec. 18, 1990 to Kilham, describes a bird feeding device wherein the ports for dispensing bird seed can be maintained or diminished to vary the flow of seed to feeding birds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,913, which issued Feb. 19, 1980 to Earl et al. describes a wild bird feeding device with separate compartments with dispensing units that can be variously aligned with holes or ports in the wall of the device to vary the flow of seed from the seed compartments to the dispensing unit.
These disclosures, and other, similar patents, too numerous to mention, offer suggestions and approaches for addressing the problems inherent in attempting to regulate the flow of bird seed from a reservoir to the feeding birds and/or to provide ports of the appropriate size for the seed being dispensed. However, notwithstanding the myriad and clever approaches previously disclosed for facilitating a controlled or metered dispensation of birdseed from a reservoir, nothing commercially available, or even gratuitously disclosed, suggests the novel and effective means described herein.
Essentially, what is described herein is a seed port for a bird feeder, said seed port allowing the feeder to dispense seeds of different sizes. Typically, the feeder will have a columnar, walled reservoir for containment or storage of seeds; and, of course, it will have at least one opening, generally in the side of the column, to provide access to the contained seeds. This opening would be in addition, of course, to an opening, usually in the top of the reservoir, for replenishing the feeder with seeds. The disclosed seed port will be attached to the side of the seed reservoir, in alignment with the dispensing hole. Specifically, the seed port will be comprised of the following: a vertical platform having an opening in alignment with an opening in the wall of the reservoir;
a trough, typically on the anterior surface of said platform, for collecting seeds flowing naturally from the reservoir, through the aligned openings; and
a hinged lid attached to the trough and positioned to pivot thus providing alternative access to seeds in the trough or to seeds in the reservoir.